


Death and Curtains

by StellarWing



Series: Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, POV Lup, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 04:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12402765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarWing/pseuds/StellarWing
Summary: [Spoilers through Story and Song]Lup has no mouth, and she must scream (at her idiot brother who has just, like, theworsttaste in men).





	Death and Curtains

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for ~naughty language~.
> 
> Please talk to be about TAZ, it ruined my life and most of my friends are way behind on it.

Lup could not believe her idiot brother was going on _another_ date with the literal embodiment of death.

Dates in general were not his style. Since the two of them had spent their younger years constantly on the move and the next one hundred bouncing between planar systems, his relationships had almost exclusively been quick flings and one-night-stands. Why, of all people, had he chosen to make it a habit of seeing the Grim fucking Reaper?

Okay, if she was being honest it was actually pretty fucking badass. It took a special kind of something to wine and dine death's emissary. Goth as fuck. It brought a glow of pride to her undead heart.

Too bad for the awkward fact that the Raven Queen and her servants weren't known for their tolerance of liches. And Kravitz had sensed Barry just from being in the same general area as him. What would've happened if she hadn't been able to distract him? Best not to think about it.

Except she had to think about it, because her useless twin was still intent on seeing him.

She could feel Taako now, fingers thrumming along the handle of the umbra staff as he waited for his date to arrive, nervous energy pouring out of him. And damn that was sort of sweet, because he wouldn't be nervous if he didn't feel something. If that asshole was stringing her brother along, she was going to turn him to ash.

Taako's grip on the handle suddenly tightened, breaking her from her thoughts. It was difficult for her to both see and hear outside her curtained prison at the same time, so she focused on sound, wanting to save her energy in case she needed to teach Taako's date a fiery lesson.

"Sorry I'm late," came a low voice, one that she recognized as Kravitz. "I'm not really used to scheduled... appointments?" he offered awkwardly. "I easily lose track of time."

A lame and somewhat embarrassing apology, but to his credit, he did sound genuine.

"You can make it up to me by paying for dinner," Taako crooned, voice betraying none of the anxiety that Lup could sense radiating from him. He had always been a gifted actor.

If she knew her brother, which she totally did, he had been planning on making Kravitz pay from the start. This was just a convenient excuse.

There was a deep chuckle, and then Kravitz's voice again. "Fair enough. Shall we?"

"Hell yeah!" Taako said as he jumped to his feet, umbra staff firmly in his grasp. "Fancy food I don't have to pay for? I'm all in!"

Another chuckle, and then they were moving.

They entered what she assumed was a restaurant, judging by the gentle clink of silverware and low hum of overlapping voices. They were quickly seated, and after a bit of awkward back and forth between the two men they eventually fell into more natural conversation. Taako did most of the talking but Kravitz chimed in with comments and questions, enough to show that he was listening. The topics he chose were nothing deep or revealing, and okay maybe it was sort of endearing how much attention Kravitz seemed to be paying to her brother's inane rambling.

Even though the umbra staff had been leaned against his chair and Taako was no longer holding it, Lup could sense how much he had relaxed. She let her concentration lapse, no longer listening to their conversation, focusing simply on the warmth of Taako's presence and the lilting cadence of his voice.

There was a lull in the conversation, and Lup could not resist taking a peek. She extended her sight outward, spotting Taako just above her as he dug through his handbag looking for something. He accidentally bumped the umbra staff, sending it to the ground with a soft thump and a muttered curse. He left it there for a moment as he continued his search for whatever it was, and from her new vantage point on the ground, Lup could just see Kravitz on the other side of the table.

He was watching Taako, expression unguarded, not aware anyone was paying attention to him. There was an affection in his eyes that startled her. It was a look she had seen before, a quiet fondness, a cautious hope for something more. A renewed frustration boiled in her at her situation, trapped in a prison of her own creation, separated from her own lover by magic and curtains. It wasn't fucking fair. She was a goddamn hero, she didn't deserve this.

But no, this wasn't about her. Not right now. This was about the impossibly handsome aspect of death who apparently had a major soft spot for dense elves who couldn't figure out that their magic staves had been trying to communicate with them for months. Years? Time had gotten pretty hazy for her.

Then Taako set the staff back upright, her view shifted, and the moment was broken. Left without much interesting to stare at, she retreated back inside herself.

Some amount of time passed before they were finally ready to leave (she hadn't been kidding about her weak grasp on the passage of time). Lup reached her sight outward again as she felt the mood shift, and she watched Taako stand up and start to walk away.

Without her.

She screamed ineffectually at him from inside her cage, clawing and banging at the walls. _Shit, shit, shit, you dumb idiot get back here I'm not waiting around another decade for you to find me again I swear to-_

Then a hand gripped the handle, cold but gentle, and she very nearly sent out a shock out of panic. She paused when she saw Kravitz's face, looking after Taako with mild concern.

"Taako, you forgot your, um... umbrella?" Kravitz said as he followed after Taako, gingerly holding the staff out to him.

Taako let out a sharp laugh. "Oh shit, thanks man. That would've sucked." He took the umbra staff, and Lup was equal parts relieved to be back in his possession and angry that he was so casual about the whole thing. "I'm glad it didn't try to fireball ya this time."

Kravitz smiled awkwardly. "I'm... also rather glad about that. Did you ever get it checked out?"

Taako smiled and shrugged. "Nope. It just kinda does its own thing sometimes. I'm sure it's fine. What's the worst it could do, kill you?" He laughed at his own bad joke.

Kravitz frowned at him. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

Taako started to lead them toward the door as he hummed thoughtfully. "Wait, are you afraid it might turn on _me_?" He sounded somewhat scandalized by the idea.

"Yes. Where did it come from? Do you know anything about it?"

Lup was filled with an unjustified rage. How dare he insinuate that she might hurt her brother! Sure, he had absolutely no way of knowing that she was in there, or that she even existed, but still! Come on!

...Okay, maybe she was being a _little_ unfair, and should focus instead on his obvious concern for Taako's safety.

Taako was quiet for a minute. They were outside by the time he spoke again. "It won't," he said with confidence. "Turn on me, I mean."

"But how can you know that?" Kravitz was beginning to sound exasperated.

Taako shrugged, staring at the staff in his hands. "Just do. I dunno, I can't really explain it. I know it won't hurt me. I think it wants to protect me? It's just sort of this sense I get, you know? ...Well no, you don't know because that didn't make any sense." He laughed quietly.

Lup felt her emotions swell. It had been rough, being so close to Taako and having him not remember a damn thing about her, but some part of him understood. He was still her heart.

Kravitz looked wholly unconvinced. "I supposed if it hasn't turned on you yet it's not likely to, but... try to be careful?"

Those eyes again, except this time laced with concern. How the hell was Death this much of a sap?

Taako looked up to meet his gaze and grinned. "Tell ya what, if it ends up blasting me you can say 'I told you so' before throwing me into your creepy soul lake."

Kravitz's expression softened a bit and he smiled. "It's a deal."

They both stood there in silence for a long minute, and it was painfully and uncomfortably obvious that Kravitz was trying to decide if he should try to kiss Taako. It was also obvious to Lup, from the small smirk on Taako's face, that her brother knew exactly what was going on and was letting him hang to see if he'd work up the courage.

 _What an ass,_  she thought with incredible fondness.

Taako never had been very patient though, and with an over-exaggerated sigh he grabbed the front of Kravitz's shirt and pulled him forward.

The kiss was short and awkward, mostly due to Kravitz's glaringly obvious inexperience, and if anyone had been able to hear Lup the moment would have been ruined by her pealing laughter.

As soon as they were apart again, Taako looked up at Kravitz and smiled. "Krav, my man, that was terrible. Like kissing a corpse." He patted Kravitz's chest as the poor man stared at him helplessly. "Don't worry, we'll work on it."

Kravitz cleared his throat and smoothed down his shirt, trying to regain some form of composure. "Does that mean I can expect to hear from you again?"

"Course. You can call me too if you want. I might not answer though if I'm off saving the world. Or dying. But you'll know if it's the last thing."

Kravitz smiled again, and Lup realized that things had just gotten a lot more complicated. Why couldn't Kravitz have just been an asshole? Then she could have blasted him and this whole thing would be over with. But no, he had to be a sweetheart who was actually probably really good for Taako. And she didn't have it in her to break Taako's heart. He deserved so, so much.

But she couldn't turn her back on Barry either. She needed both of them to be happy and safe.

Dammit, dammit, _dammit._

Maybe they could work something out, Kravitz seemed reasonable enough. And kind, and understanding, and maybe she could see why Taako was interested in him.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to give him hell the moment she got out of that umbrella.


End file.
